MENA (April 2025)

GFMD meeting for members and partners working in the Middle East and North Africa with a focus on Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

The Arabic translation of this page will be available here.

Organisers:

• Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)

• Journalisme & Citoyenneté - SahafaMed

Date: 28 April 2025

Time: 10:00 - 16:00

Location: Marseille, France

Registration:

Languages: Arabic, English, and French

The meeting agenda is available here:

Meeting Agenda

The literature review is available here:

Literature Review

Who should attend?

• Media assistance and journalism support practitioners who are working in the Levant region.

• Donors and funders to media development and information integrity programmes in the region.

Which countries will the meeting focus on?

Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.

What are the objectives of the meeting?

• Identify the most urgent funding needs in crisis and emergency contexts and evaluate how longer-term structural support can be mobilised, especially in areas where some donors have recently withdrawn.

• Provide recommendations to donors and intermediaries on how media assistance to the region can better align with the OECD Development Co-operation Principles for Relevant and Effective Support to Media and the Information Environment which donors themselves have subscribed to.
• Review progress on since GFMD’s in-person MENA regional meeting at the ARIJ Conference in Amman, Jordan in November 2023. You can read the outcomes from that meeting, which brought together 80 donors, funders, media development practitioners and independent media actors, here.

How will the meeting achieve these objectives?

• The discussion will be informed by a new GFMD mapping of past, current and planned funding in the region, which will be shared in advance of the meeting.

• GFMD will use the contributions of members and partners to finalise the mapping report, which will be used by GFMD and our members in dialogue and policy discussions with existing and potential donors.

How can you contribute?

1. Share relevant resources Share reports analysing the Levant's current situation and funding landscape to include in the event resource page. Email them to [e-mail].
2. Emergency resource contributions Send us resources to add to the emergency resource page for journalists and media workers specifically dedicated to Lebanon, as well as a general list of over 20 emergency funds for media in crisis and 30+ emergency resources (available in Arabic) specifically for media and journalists, including crucial mental health support.

Please email relevant resources to [e-mail].

Your participation and insights will significantly enrich our discussions. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.